I spoke with a retail manager the other day who said, “I agree with the principles in Figure It Out. But how do I make decisions when I’ve got an angry customer standing in front of me. I don’t have time to use the 5Cs.” Here’s what I suggested: Begin by recognizing that you do have the ability to defer

The degree to which ambiguity can be tolerated determines the amount of difficulty the individual can, and is willing to, meet and overcome in coping with the problems of human life and in taking advantage of the opportunities life has to offer. John D. Ingalls We’ve all gone through it – that nagging feeling that we’re not making the best

Over the past few months, I’ve noticed that “slammed” has joined the lexicon of describing how busy someone is. At times, it seems like we compete with each other for who’s most overwhelmed. “I’m so slammed, I won’t be able to accept that ‘Too Busy to Breathe” award for at least six months.” Some of this busyness is legitimate. Most

In a previous post, I described the challenges of living with safe decision syndrome (SDS). That’s the insidious force that holds us back from taking action, resulting in lost opportunities and productivity. So what does SDS look and feel like? It’s mostly related to fear – fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of embarrassment, even fear of success.

In 1975, economist Herbert Stein introduced the term satisficing. He defined it as not making the best decision, but the one that is good enough. It has always been human nature to take this path, especially when the choice is tough. Some of us rationalize. Others of us tell ourselves stories. Whatever the method, there is an outcome we have

The former owner of an automobile dealership told me recently that he initiated a $750 “customer spend” for his organization. When I expressed curiosity, he went on to explain that he authorized everyone in the firm to spend as much as $750 to make sure a customer was happy if an issue arose. This could range from the receptionist buying

I spent a couple of years in my youth as a cook for a seafood restaurant. Inevitably, the kitchen would get “stuck,” as all kitchens do – orders coming in too fast, food coming up at the wrong time, bread loaves burning in the oven, and nothing going out to the customers. When it became apparent that we were not

We can strategize all day about how to make the best decisions. But when there are too many on the plate it’s only natural to just make a decision, any decision, and move on. That may be fine for routine issues. Not so for the bigger problems and projects. What you have to do is make decisions about the decisions

She looked, then looked again, then looked again at the screen in front of her. She moved the belt back a couple of inches and then looked again. I began to count the seconds. All this to determine whether the elderly lady was carrying a bomb. The line behind her continued to grow. Finally, she asked a colleague to examine

I have lots of managers ask, “How do I get rid of the parade in my office?” You know this parade. It’s the constant stream of questions from those who should be thinking on their own. Stealing a page out of the teacher playbook, I recommend these managers use think-alouds. Allow me to explain. When someone approaches with a problem